Your roses

Congratulations on purchasing Trinity Farm roses. Your roses are growing in bags of potting mix that contain slow release fertiliser to ensure that they will grow well when planted.

Can’t plant straightaway?

If you can’t plant your roses soon after receiving them, make sure they don’t dry out. Stand them in a bucket of water to ensure they get a decent drink. Warning : Don’t let the roots of your roses dry out.

Preparation before planting

When planting, dig a hole larger than the planter-bag. If you’re planting where roses have gone before, it’s a good idea to replace the soil, for the same reason that good gardeners never plant crops repeatedly in the same place, to avoid the soil becoming depleted of nutrients. A couple of bucketfuls of fresh soil, compost, or potting mix would be a good idea – well worth the effort.

Warning: Don’t put any chemical fertilisers in the planting hole as they may burn the roots.

Planting and Fertilising

With a sharp knife, slice off the bottom of the planter bag. Place the base of the bag in the planting hole and gently lift up the sides of the bag, leaving the roots undisturbed. The top of the potting mix should be just below the soil level. Firm the soil by treading the surface. Once planted you can scatter blood and bone around the soil surface, for the rain to wash in. Mulching around the plant is also recommended. Rose fertiliser can be scattered around the soil surface in early spring when shoots are beginning to burst (Sept) and again just before Xmas to give them a boost.

Spraying

Your roses have been grown with minimal spraying. They are tough roses and will survive without spraying. The beauty of heritage roses is that they have survived the test of time, and are not as fussy as modern roses. If you are keen to spray you can use winter oil (or neem oil) and copper in August - two sprays a couple of weeks apart.

Pruning

In the first year, your roses should not need pruning, unless their growth is excessive, when you shorten them back. In the winter when growth stops and they lose their leaves, you can prune your roses. Old roses don’t need to be pruned as hard as modern roses, and many of them flower on last year’s wood. If you want them to grow to be big shrubs, prune conservatively, or not at all. As they grow older, pruning can be restricted to removing old unthrifty wood.

Your roses are growing on their own roots. They are not budded or grafted, and any growth that comes from the base, or even below the soil is good new growth. (You don’t need to worry about root suckers.)